英语听力教程第三版（张民伦主编）Unit 7 A Kaleidoscope of Culture听力原文

Unit 7 A Kaleidoscope of Culture

Part I Getting ready

Mew York is one of the most important cities in the world. It is not only a center for business, but also a center for music and art. It has many famous buildings and places of interest. And it, too, has jot its nickname. What is it? Audioscript：

A： Are you ready for the trip to the museum in \

can hardly wait.

B： \

A： \

going to New York with us, aren't you?

B： Yes, I'm going. I'm especially looking forward to seeing the

Museum of Modern Art. There's a special show of 20th century American painters there. But, tell me, where did the nickname \

A： The jazz musicians of the 1920s are responsible for the name.

When they played a concert in a city, they called that city an apple.

Of course New York was the biggest city in the country and best place for a jazz concert. So the musicians called it \Apple\

B： Amazing! New York is such a fascinating place and it even has an

interesting nickname, one that it's had for more than 50 years. Britain is famous for its pubs, where you can sample a pint of British beer, enjoy good-value bar meals and savor the friendly atmosphere. The pub boasts an excellent range of hot and cold bar snacks or a wide selection of home-cooked meals with a warm and relaxed atmosphere. Audioscript：

There are visitors who come to England and leave thinking they have never been inside a pub. They don't realize that the words \\you know whether a building is a pub and what does a pub offer the visitor?

The first thing to look for is a large sign either hanging over the street or placed on a pole outside the building. This sign may have a name like The Kings Arms, The Black Rabbit or The Duke ofKendal or an appropriate picture. Many pubs have names linked to royalty, popular

heroes, sports or great occasions. There is a pub called The Concorde after the new airliner.

On the doors of a pub you may see the words Saloon Bar or Public Bar. The Saloon Bar is more comfortably furnished. Occasionally the words Free House can be seen beside the name of the pub. This doesn't mean they serve free food and drink; it refers to the fact that the pub doesn't buy its drinks from one particular brewery only. It isn't a \tied to a brewery.

The services a pub offers vary around the country. The basic service is the sale of alcoholic drink at certain times of the day. Opening times, as these periods are often called, are usually from 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays. On Sundays the opening times are 12 noon until 2 p.m. and 7-10.30 p.m. although these times can vary slightly according to the region. Pubs can also offer food and accommodation. To help visitors, an experimental system of symbols has been tried out in Southern England and East Anglia. These symbols indicate just what is available from a particular pub.

Part II Times square

Times Square is in the heart of New York City. Every year, Times Square is the center of worldwide attention on New Year's Eve

because of the rooftop celebrations to usher in the New Year. Apart from that, there are some other things that make Times Square famous. Audioscript：

\Times Square Alliance, a coalition of area businesses. The millions of visitors to Times Square each year would probably agree. The area has one of the most recognizable names in the world. But, Times Square is not really a square. It is the name for the area around where Broadway crosses 42nd Street in Manhattan. The Times Square area stretches more than ten blocks north to south. The borders to the east and west are uneven. Some people call the shape of the area a bow tie. Times Square gets its name from The New York Times newspaper. In 1904, the newspaper began to build its headquarters in what was then called Long Acre Square. The city's underground train system built a stop under the Times Tower. The city renamed the area Times Square. On December 31st, 1904, the newspaper held a big celebration in Times Square to welcome the New Year. Fireworks lit the sky. Celebrations have taken place every year since then. Now, crowds also watch a big glass ball slide down a pole as the New Year arrives.

Hundreds of businesses are in Times Square. The alliance says twenty percent of all hotel rooms in New York City are in Times Square. It says Times Square also has about six and one-half million square meters of office space. And more is being built.

Times Square is home to famous Broadway theaters. And several television companies have studios there. MTV is one of them. Times Square is probably most famous for its huge colorful signs. The alliance says Times Square is the only place in New York where businesses are required to use them. Audioscript：

It is another typical morning in Times Square: Taxi cabs blare their horns, 15 foot billboards look down over throngs of people hurrying by, and in the middle of it all, members of a smash Broadway musical climb up on a stage to dance and sing for the tourists.

The entertainment is being organized by the Times Square Business Improvement District, the people responsible for making the area as welcoming to tourists as possible. Right now, the square is crowded and business is booming. So much so, in fact, that several sidewalks had to be widened recently to cope with the increase in visitors. And

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